Lords of RPG

There are many religions on the World of Kempin.  Your characters are beginning in the Empire of Bone, where the Holy Church of Doeth holds sway over the Empire and its subjects.  But due to an important event that took place twenty years ago, we need to take a look at the Kempin Religion, which holds sway in the Feron-Jacobe Empire and all lands under its influence.  This event is referred to as Fata Deum, or the Fate of the Gods.

THE KEMPIN RELIGION

At the heart of the Kempin Religion is one simple concept, which then branches out into complexity from that point. At the heart of this religion is the idea that Everything is Kempin, and Kempin is In All Things. A connection exists between all things within the Real (as well as the Unreal). This is the core belief of those that belong within this religious system. Some take the myths to be allegorical and valuable as teaching tools only. Others take them very literally. The results are the same. The Kempin Mythos exists to help frame, categorize, and possibly control all the varied potentialities that exist in the World of Kempin.

The “Legend of Days” is a simple creation story, but it helps one understand the role of each of the Gods in the Kempin Mythos, and how they came to be:

On the first day of the world there was only Kempin the Lord. On the second day the waters flowed (Moch of the Depths). On the third day the waters were tossed by storms (Tobin the Wrathful), causing the earth to be exposed on the fourth day (Crago the Unbreaking). On the fifth day the sun lit creation (Po the Redeemer). Through the trickery of Rukin the sixth day was dark with night. On the seventh day man discovered wisdom (Alcorn the Bishop). Wisdom led to craft on the eighth day (Rusch the Provider), which led to the beauties of art on the ninth day (Hiser the Messenger). On the tenth day man discovered love and his own miracle of creation (Mishkin the Giftbringer). But the division of the whole led full circle to Kempin, Lord of King, War, and Justice as order was established by mankind and civilization was formed.

This creation story provides the order of the days of the week for the Empire Calendar. Kempday, Mochday, Tobday, Cragday, Poday, Rukeday, Alcday, Rushday, Hiseday, and Mish.

Because Everything is Kempin, and Kempin is in All Things, the magical systems that developed from this belief attempt to draw upon the potentialities that exist in the deep essence of all things. Spells that involve flying must draw upon the potentiality to fly, often through the use of body parts (blood, feathers, bones) of creatures that can fly. Spells that make something invisible, must draw upon the potentiality to be unseen, as found in creatures that naturally camouflage themselves or through materials that generally go unseen (gasses, flawless diamonds, etc.) Spellcasters of all types in the World of Kempin, rely on this connection to all things to make things happen that seem impossible otherwise.

The Religion of Kempin was heavily promoted by Emperor Jestak during the Warlords Campaign (0e-22e). He succeeded in making it the majority religion of the Empire and its Holdings. Usually the means of conversion were peaceful, but in some cases over-zealous priests abused their powers and committed atrocities against the followers of native religions. In the more complex Imperial version of the religion, each God and Goddess has various aspects, and each of these aspects have their own dedicated religious orders and cultist activity.

In the Grasslands of Shronth, where Jestak was born, the simple (original) form of this religion is followed. Only the primary aspect of each God or Goddess is worshiped and acknowledged on the vast grassy plains that form that warrior nation.

THE GODLY BOONS AND FATA DEUM

Each of the twelve gods and goddesses of the Kempin religion, at various points in the vast span of time between creation and now, bestowed upon humankind a godly boon.  A magical object of immense divine power… containing the very essence of godhood itself… so that the world could benefit from these gifts of power.

Twenty years ago, during the final battle of the Nameless War, all twelve godly boons were upon the battlefield.  It had been prophesied that should the divine boons ever be gathered together in one place, it would bring about Fata Deum.  The Fate of the God's.

During that battle, Death himself walked upon the battlefield.  The Corpse King walked the land, resurrecting every soldier that had fallen upon the field of battle, and suddenly every loss was a gain for He who Brings Doom.  The dead washed over the armies of the Feron-Jacobe Empire, the Empire of Bone, Swaldune, and the Targs of Norlund, clawing, biting, and killing all the living that came within their reach.

The Nameless Emperor, wielding the greatest of all godly boons… Kempin's holy sword… Savior, unleashed the full power of this Mad Sword.  The armies of the dead dropped to the earth and decayed away and the Corpse King was driven away.  But, many of the living were killed as well in the unfathomable divine power unleashed by the Emperor.

It is said that only 1 in 20 soldiers returned home from the Nameless War.  But, the gods are said to have fared much worse.  As the prophesy had foretold, Fata Deum was upon them.  And that was the day all the God's died.

ALL THE GODS ARE DEAD

Theologians and Scholars have argued the details for twenty years.  But, the signs and portents have confirmed time and again, that the twelve Gods and Goddesses of the Kempin religion were dead.  But, the Holy God Doeth, of the Empire of Bone, was absent as well.  As were the harsh and punishing Gods of the Targ, and Aerune, of the vast desert sands.   The Father, Bride, and Child of the old ways of the Trothians were gone.  The Gods of the dwarves, dweorgs, and hauflins were dead as well.  Fata Deum had killed them all.

With the Gods “absent,” religions continued.  People worshipped.  Temples maintained themselves.  Priests still accessed and used divine energy, just in much smaller numbers.  Prayers were made, but miracles ceased.  And the world became a much darker place.  For twenty years, humankind has lived with this reality.  The Gods are dead.